Whither a Malaysia for all?

The columnist bemoans what seems to be a striking return to divisive identity politics by a major component of the unity government.

THIS week, Malaysia no longer feels like a country I want to be a part of, much less proud of. Because one part of the current government threw its support behind a reckless call to boycott a business, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of Malaysians who have done no wrong.

I am utterly disappointed that the Umno supreme council decided to give carte blanche to its Youth wing’s leader Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh, to organise a boycott of KK Super Mart over the issue of socks printed with the word “Allah” being sold in two out of 881 outlets.

This, I believe, is because Umno has fallen back on the bad habit of using identity politics to score points, this time trying to outdo Perikatan Nasional in false piety and righteousness.

Umno is a part of the government, so henceforth, Malaysia is going to be known as a nation with a government that encourages the destruction of the economic efforts of her own people. We won’t be called a failed state; we’ll just be laughed at.

I always believed that the unjust incarceration of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was unjust and the lowest point in this country’s political history. I was wrong.

The support of a ruling coalition partner being offered to a man out to ruin the lives of over 5,000 innocent men and women who are honest and hard-working Malaysian citizens in the employ of KK Mart is now, I believe, the lowest point.

When the unity government was formed one and a half years ago, I gave thanks when it was announced that Anwar was the PM.

I had never dared to expect such an outcome after the trials and tribulations of 23 years of battling.

But now I feel that the unity government came with a huge catch: Umno was to be part of the coalition. Why? Because only Umno had enough ties with GPS (Gabungan Parti Sarawak) and GRS (Gabungan Rakyat Sabah) to bring them over to form the unity government.

Thus, Anwar assumed the mantle of leadership, with Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at his side, along with Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof of GPS.

Then all hell broke loose in civil society through the media, some of which began to publish all kinds of articles denouncing Ahmad Zahid and linking him to jailed former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and all manner of alleged corruption, calling it a blemish on this new chapter in Malaysia.

I, who had been against Umno for 23 years, had to make a stand, and I decided to believe that Umno could change given the right situation, support and trust – even though my friends in civil society did not believe that a leopard can change its spots.

I had to believe in Umno because, without it, there was no chance for a new beginning for Malaysia.

So I wrote in defence of Ahmad Zahid and Umno, pointing out to my civil society friends that change cannot come with the wave of a magic wand in a Barbie world.

I never, however, defended or supported in any way Dr Akmal, who to me was someone who posed as a warrior but had never proved his mettle in front of a non-Malay audience.

In my eyes, Dr Akmal clearly showed that he believed in the old Umno, which depended on the divisive politics of race and religious identity.

I was pleased that Ahmad Zahid and Mat Hassan (i.e. deputy Umno president Datuk Seri Mohamed Hassan) proved me right with their voices of moderation – until last Friday, when the boom came down hard on my hopes.

So are we now back to race and religion identity politics, with people like Dr Akmal deciding which issue to rile people up with and who to boycott next? Who next is on the list to go bankrupt? Who is next on the list to bully? Is this how Umno will operate from now on?

Why, I wonder, did Ahmad Zahid cave? I can guess the answer.

It could very well be that Umno now, for the first time since 2022, is beginning to feel some returning popularity once again with the Malays.

How? By using KK Mart as a punching bag and by sacrificing 5,000 innocent lives to the abyss of economic despair.

Is this the price of Islamic dignity, as touted by Dr Akmal? Or is KK Mart the sacrificial lamb to please the purveyors of race supremacy?

I weep for Malaysia and for our children. My dream of a Malaysia for all is no more.

Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at the Tan Sri Omar Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Studies at UCSI University. The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.